Event details

The advent of gravitational-wave astronomy motivates detailed study of the classical gravitational dynamics of spinning black holes in binary systems. Analytical calculations to those ends have traditionally focused on post-Newtonian perturbation theory (expansion in $1/c$), naturally paired with an expansion in low spins. I will discuss a complimentary approach using post-Minkowskian perturbation theory (expansion in $G$, as is more natural in QFT), paired with a nonperturbative treatment of the spins. New results for two-spinning-black-hole scattering at the first post-Minkowskian order, given in simple closed forms to all orders in spin, reveal remarkable relationships between arbitrary-mass-ratio two-body dynamics and test-body dynamics in a fixed background, and between the dynamics of spinning and nonspinning black holes. In pushing toward higher orders in $G$, the field will doubtlessly benefit from bringing a wide range of techniques developed by particle physicists to bear on the problem of classical gravitational dynamics.

The Particle Physics Theory seminar is a weekly series of talks reflecting the diverse interests of the group. Topics include analytic and numerical calculations based on the Standard Model of elementary particle physics, theories exploring new physics, as well as more formal developments in gauge theories and gravity..

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